Substituted heterocycle fused gamma-carbolines are known to be agonists or antagonists of 5-HT2 receptors, particularly 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors, in treating central nervous system disorders. These compounds have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,548,493; 7,238,690; 6,552,017; 6,713,471; 7,183,282; U.S. RE39680, and U.S. RE39679, as novel compounds useful for the treatment of disorders associated with 5-HT2A receptor modulation such as obesity, anxiety, depression, psychosis, schizophrenia, sleep disorders, sexual disorders migraine, conditions associated with cephalic pain, social phobias, gastrointestinal disorders such as dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract motility, and obesity.
PCT/US08/03340 (WO 2008/112280) and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/786,935 disclose methods of making substituted heterocycle fused gamma-carbolines and uses of these gamma-carbolines as serotonin agonists and antagonists useful for the control and prevention of central nervous system disorders such as addictive behavior and sleep disorders.
WO/2009/145900 discloses use of particular substituted heterocycle fused gamma-carbolines for the treatment of a combination of psychosis and depressive disorders as well as sleep, depressive and/or mood disorders in patients with psychosis or Parkinson's disease. In addition to disorders associated with psychosis and/or depression, this patent application discloses and claims use of these compounds at a low dose to selectively antagonize 5-HT2A receptors without affecting or minimally affecting dopamine D2 receptors, thereby useful for the treatment of sleep disorders without the side effects of the dopamine D2 pathways or side effects of other pathways (e.g., GABAAreceptors) associated with convention sedative-hypnotic agents (e.g., benzodiazepines) including but not limited to the development of drug dependency, muscle hypotonia, weakness, headache, blurred vision, vertigo, nausea, vomiting, epigastric distress, diarrhea, joint pains, and chest pains.
WO 2009/114181 discloses methods of preparing toluenesulfonic acid addition salt crystals of particular substituted heterocycle fused gamma-carbolines, e.g., toluenesulfonic acid addition salt of 4-((6bR,10aS)-3-methyl-2,3,6b,9,10,10a-hexahydro-1H-pyrido[3′,4′:4,5]pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]quinoxalin-8(7H)-yl)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-butanone.
WO 2011/133224 discloses prodrugs/metabolites of substituted heterocycle fused gamma-carboline for improved formulation, e.g., extended/controlled release formulation. This application discloses that heterocycle fused gamma-carboline N-substituted with a 4-fluorophenyl(4-hydroxy)butanyl moiety are shown to have high selectivity for the serotonin transporter (SERT) relative to the heterocycle fused gamma-carboline containing 4-fluorophenylbutanone. The hydroxy group on these compounds, however, is inter-converted to and from the ketone within the plasma and the brain, allowing it to serve as a reservoir for the 4-fluorophenylbutanone drug.
For the first time, the current invention provides compounds which block the in vivo inter-conversion between the hydroxy and the ketone, yielding compounds which antagonize 5-HT2A receptors and also inhibit serotonin re-uptake transporter.